Looking At A Potential Vikings/Cardinals Trade

As I mentioned earlier this morning, the folks at SBNation's latest blog, Revenge of the Birds, have presented what could be an intriguing possibility for a couple of teams that could both use a shot in the arm.

In recent days, Vikings CB Antoine Winfield has sort of called out the coaching staff.  With the Green Bay Packers coming to the Metrodome this weekend, Winfield said the following in an interview with KFAN Radio in Minneapolis:

Quite frankly, as far as I'm concerned personally, #26 is right on the money.  I don't want to see Cedric Griffin or Marcus McCauley lined up across from Donald Driver on Sunday afternoon.  I want to see Antoine Winfield there.  Driver has absolutely killed Minnesota in the last few games of this series, and he should absolutely, positively be shadowed by Winfield on every play all day long.

However, we've seen in the past that Brad Childress has something of a low tolerance for people that don't, in the words of noted American philosopher Eric Cartman, RESPECT HIS AUTHORITAH!  This has led to rumors starting to circulate that Winfield is a candidate to be traded before the NFL's Week 6 trading deadline.  The deal that RotB has presented has us sending Winfield to the Cardinals in exchange for WR Larry Fitzgerald, who has apparently become disenchanted with the offense brought in by new head coach Ken Whisenhunt and looks to be playing second fiddle to Anquan Boldin in Arizona's new offense.

Now, allow me to preface this by saying that I currently have two Vikings' jerseys that hang in my closet.  The first is a 2004 vintage Daunte Culpepper #11. . .yeah, like I can wear that one outside the confines of my own house any more.  The other is the 2006 vintage Antoine Winfield #26 that I put on my back every Sunday afternoon when I park myself in front of this computer and fire up the Sunday Ticket to watch the beloved Purple.   Antoine Winfield is my current favorite Viking.  I love the way the guy plays, I love the fact that there isn't a better pound-for-pound run support DB in the entire National Football League.

Having said that. . .I'd damn near give my left arm if it meant getting Larry Fitzgerald on this football team.  If I was willing to give my left arm, I'd certainly be willing to give Antoine Winfield.

Larry Fitzgerald would give the Minnesota offense the one thing that it desperately lacks at this point. . .a true #1 wide receiver that can beat press coverage, can get open on a regular basis, and could make opposing defenses pay for stacking up against the run on every play.  Fitzgerald grew up in the Minneapolis area, and even served as a ball boy for the Vikings as a youth.  Who better could there possibly be to carry on the tradition of great Vikings wide receivers?

Think about it, folks. . .Paul Flatley. . .Gene Washington. . .Ahmad Rashad. . .Anthony Carter. . .Cris Carter. . .Randy Moss. . .and now, possibly, Larry Fitzgerald.  It just feels so natural.

Would the Vikings' defense suffer with the loss of Antoine Winfield?  Of course they would, at least temporarily.  You can't lose a player of Winfield's caliber and not expect to take a step back.  But by that same token, you can't add a player the caliber of a Larry Fitzgerald and not expect to get better.  Frankly, the thought of Larry Fitzgerald and Adrian Peterson being a part of the same offense for the next decade in Minnesota gives me goose bumps.

I'm not saying that a trade is going to happen. . .heck, I'm not even suggesting that this speculation has any basis in reality at all.  It's just a couple of fans from a couple of different teams imagining the possibilities.

Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday, folks!